By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Somerset County announced the arrest of Albert J. Ketrow, 28, of Somerset.
Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald stated that as part of the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) of multiple tips relating to the possession of images depicting the explicit contact or abuse of a child.
An investigation was initiated by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit.
Officials said the investigation revealed that Albert J. Ketrow was suspected of uploading over a hundred videos and over a hundred additional photographs depicting the explicit contact and/or exploitation of children under the age of 18.
Authorities say that on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit Detectives and members of the Manville Police Department located Ketrow in Manville.
Detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit then executed a search warrant on Ketrow’s residence with the assistance of officers from the Franklin Township Police Department, officials say.
According to officials, multiple electronic devices were seized from the residence for further computer forensic examination as a result of the search.
An initial forensic examination of Ketrow’s phone revealed evidence related to the crime, officials said.
Prosecutor McDonald stated on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, defendant Ketrow was arrested without incident and charged with 2nd degree, Endangering the Welfare of the Child, and Possession of Explicit Material over 1000 items.
Officials said the defendant was lodged in the Somerset County Jail and subsequently released, and the investigation remains ongoing.